Pick, Lucy K. 1966–

(Lucy Pick)

PERSONAL:

Born November 21, 1966, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; daughter of Sheila O'Connor; children: Leo. Education: Queen's University, received B.A.; Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, M.S.L.; University of Toronto, M.A., Ph.D., 1995. Politics: Democrat.

ADDRESSES:

Office—University of Chicago Divinity School, 1025 E. 58th St., Swift Hall 400 C, Chicago, IL 60637. E-mail—lucypick@midway.uchicago.edu.

CAREER:

University of Chicago Divinity School, Chicago, IL, 1996—, began as John Nuveen instructor, became director of undergraduate studies and senior lecturer in the history of Christianity by 2001.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Fellowships from Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Centre for Medieval Studies at University of Toronto, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

WRITINGS:

Conflict and Coexistence: Archbishop Rodrigo and the Muslims and Jews of Medieval Spain, University of Michigan Press (Ann Arbor, MI), 2004.

Contributor to periodicals, including History of Religions, Journal of Modern History, Journal of Religion, Medieval Review, and Speculum.

SIDELIGHTS:

Lucy K. Pick's first book, Conflict and Coexistence: Archbishop Rodrigo and the Muslims and Jews of Medieval Spain, examines the efforts of Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada to use his position as archbishop of Toledo, Spain, to unite Spanish Jews and Muslims under Christian rule. Pick uses the term convivencia to describe the cooperation and interdependence possible among diverse, potentially hostile groups who might never actually convert to Christianity. Considering the book "bold and original," Robert I. Burns in the Catholic Historical Review suggested that "its conclusions are sometimes less persuasive than its rich arguments and its dialogues with the positions of others," but he nonetheless summarized it as "a welcome addition to the growing library on medieval Spain's pluralist society." Historian reviewer Paulette L. Pepin noted the "remarkable insight" Pick provides into medieval Spanish history; she described Conflict and Coexistence as "an articulate and well-researched study of how and why Rodrigo used his profound belief in the unity of God, within the Trinity, to nurture the continued military expansion of Christianity, as well as ‘a belief in the originary divine unity of all creation.’" Writing in Shofar, Anna Sapir Abulafia maintained that "Pick's excellent book will encourage fresh thinking in this field of study."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Catholic Historical Review, October, 2005, Robert I. Burns, review of Conflict and Coexistence: Archbishop Rodrigo and the Muslims and Jews of Medieval Spain, p. 787.

Choice, July-August, 2005, M. Swartz, review of Conflict and Coexistence, p. 2004.

English Historical Review, February, 2007, F.J. Hernandes, review of Conflict and Coexistence, p. 238.

Historian, winter, 2006, Paulette L. Pepin, review of Conflict and Coexistence, p. 890.

Journal of Ecclesiastical History, October, 2005, Peter Linehan, review of Conflict and Coexistence, p. 773.

Shofar, winter, 2007, Anna Sapir Abulafia, review of Conflict and Coexistence, p. 181.

ONLINE

Lucy Pick Books,http://lucypick.com (September 22, 2008).

University of Chicago Divinity School Web site,http://divinity.uchicago.edu/ (September 22, 2008), faculty profile.